This is the 43rd chapter. I don't own the series of One Piece.
The Grand Ruins of Shandora!
Outside of the Upper Yard
Outside of the Upper Yard, Naim's team are able to sail on and out of the Milky Road that Pagaya just made for them after using the Milky Dial. Ventus and Caius kept an eye on the jungle area in case if they encounter the Shandorians, the Divine Warriors, or Eneru. Pagaya and Conis are watching Nami testing out the new and improved waver which she was able to handle it very well, but it'll also make Luffy real jealous since he always wanted to try it for the joyride which they all know that he doesn't know how to work with it, and he'll sink.
"It's amazing!" Pagaya exclaims, astonished.
"You're incredible, Nami!" Conis shouts with a praise as Nami rides back to the ship.
"She's all yours now and is good as new!" Pagaya told her as Nami stops.
"Yeah, thanks." Nami said with a pant, looks at the waver. "I don't know what you did, but I love it. This thing is so fast, it's crazy!"
"It's true, and Jet Dials went extinct hundreds of years ago, it's really quite astonishing. Imagine how shocked I was to find one aboard the waver you left." Pagaya said. "I fear we're running out of things to occupy ourselves with. We had planned to lead all of you to the end of Skypiea, but it seems our circumstances have changed."
Ventus then helps Nami up to the deck by flying and carrying the waver to the deck. Nami turns to them and spoke.
"I guess the best thing to do is get the ship to the coast where we all agree to meet. There's really no reason to worry, I'm sure they're fine." Nami told him, smiled a little. "You know, when the 6 of those goofballs get together, there's practically no stopping them."
"There aren't any 6-man groups." Aisa said, earned their attention when they noticed her wrapping her knees around with her arms.
"What do you mean?" Ventus inquires curiously.
"At the most, there's maybe 4. If there were 6-man group on the island, I'd know about it and I don't." Aisa answered.
"It's Mantra." Caius said. "The power that Eneru and his priests uses."
"I was born able to use it, that's why...that's why I'm so afraid...You have no idea how scary it is to hear voices disappear." Aisa sobs as Nami kneels to her level.
"You're not crying again, are you?" Nami asks with a deadpan look, causing Aisa to wipe the tears off her eyes.
"NO I'M NOT CRYING, YOU STUPID SEE PERSON!" Aisa yelled at the navigator, making Nami, Caius, and Ventus wonder what made her acting like this.
"Her waver have broken down." Conis explains, earned their attention. "Luckily, our boat happened to pass by. If we hadn't got into her when we did, she would be eaten by a sky-shark."
That made Nami shocked at that, leaving the young Shandorian alone and her riding the waver at the White-White Sea when it's filled with sky-shark and other predators. Ventus and Caius weren't surprised about it, but with Aisa around and in danger without having second thoughts, she'd be dead.
"What were you thinking, coming out here by yourself?!" Nami scolds the young Shandorian.
"I don't know! But...I couldn't keep sitting around doing nothing!" Aisa retorted, which they couldn't help but feel pity for her. "Raki, and everybody..."
Nami, Ventus, and Caius just watches Aisa in silent with sympathy, while not understanding on having a 'Mantra' and hearing voices vanished which made her driven in this current situation. But their thoughts were interrupted when they heard an explosion that was coming from the Upper Yard.
"I hope everyone else is alright." Nami said, concerned about the rest of her crew.
"Let's hope so. With everyone happening on the island and Eneru running amok, trying to lower the numbers down, I don't think we have the time or the place to leave Skypiea." Caius said with his eyes narrowed. "And I highly doubt he'll let us leave, either."
Nami and Ventus turned their heads to the Reaper, which they knew he has a point when it comes to Eneru not making it easy on everyone. Plus, with the Shandorians and the Divine Warriors fighting while their crew got involved in the crossfire, things have gotten a lot harder than they thought.
Inside of the Snake's Belly
While inside of the digestion system, Luffy continued to wander around aimlessly while his stomach growled. He's still trying to find a way out, which he got himself lost as usual and walking around the stomach acid that had ruins, skulls, and treasures.
"What a day, this is crappy. I'm starving and I left my bag outside of the stupid cave. And all of the fruit trees around here are rotten." Luffy complains, looking at the area. "Man, all I can think about is eating that yummy breakfast Sanji and Ventus made. What kind of messed up cave did I wind-up in anyway? I can't seem to find an exit anywhere. I wonder if everybody has already made it to the City of Gold. I bet it's all pretty and shiny in gold and stuff. And they probably make all kinds of food there too. I can't wait to get there and find out."
And with that, Luffy continued to wander around aimlessly inside of the digestion system.
Upper Yard
While somewhere at the Upper Yard, Zoro also continued to wander around in the jungle while got himself lost and not in the right direction. Apparently, he's pretty far out of the battlefield and he didn't meet his crew at the ruins of Shandora. He stops himself with a groan.
"Feels like I've been walking forever. I think I'll have my lunch now." Zoro said, decided to take a break as he sits on a tree trunk, opens a bento and then eats his lunch. "That stuff ain't too shabby."
Then, he heard a rustle coming from the bushes as he quickly turned his head and pulling out his katana.
"Who's there?!" Zoro said but noticed a giant-sized South Bird standing behind him and opened its beak with a caw. "Sorry, fella, but I don't speak bird. If it's my food you're after...Hey!"
The South Bird makes its mouth wider, expecting Zoro to feed it which he won't.
"You're not getting it!" Zoro said in annoyance, then eats his lunch while kept an eye on the South Bird. "Stop staring at me!"
Zoro then quickly eats his lunch, making the South Bird sad. Zoro then got off of the tree trunk and continued on walking around in the jungle, but the South Bird follows him while turning its beak at the other direction which it's trying to tell him that he's heading the wrong direction. However, Zoro is getting more annoyed as he turned over to the South Bird.
"Would you stop following me?!" Zoro growls, but the South Bird caws at him. "Listen, featherbrain, I just ate all of my food, I don't have them anymore, okay! Besides, I wouldn't give you any, even if I had some. So, get lost before I lose my temper!"
The South Bird can only respond with a caw, telling him to head the other way.
"What is your problem, anyhow?! Walking all weird with that big fat melonhead faced in the wrong direction!" Zoro shouts, then stops and look at the South Bird. "I don't want to have to fight you, bird, but I will. You got it?"
The South Bird caws in respond.
Meanwhile, Eneru is also wander around in the Upper Yard, looking for his next opponent to fight which it's either the Straw Hats or the Shandorians. Since he only got an hour left, he'll have to enjoy hunting the Shandorians and kill him while he still can before he leaves Skypiea.
'In 3 hours, a mere 5 of the 85 people on this island will be left standing. Hmm, there's only 1 hour left. Until my proclaimed time is up and 28 is currently remaining.' Eneru mentally thought, but unknown to him, a Shandorian is hiding behind a tree and it got him trembled a bit.
'This can't be! What's Eneru doing here?! He's going down!'
But just as a Shandorian takes aim with his rifle to fire, Eneru appeared behind him with his Devil Fruit power. It got the Shandorian's attention when he glances over his shoulder and notices him, making him widen his eyes in horror as Eneru uses his Devil Fruit power to electrocute him.
"And now...27." Eneru said.
Ruins of Shandora
At the ruins, the fight between Yama and Sareena continued after she give Robin and Leon time to escape from the fat priest while heading to the City of Gold to look for the treasure. Sareena was able to dodge by backflip and making Yama hit the ground instead which made him angry.
"Sorry tubby, but you're gonna have to better than that." Sareena said with a smirk, readying her fighting stance and it got Yama growled angrily.
"Stomach Mountain" Yama leaps in midair and delivers a body slam, which Sareena was able to dodge but barely and lands on the ground.
She then noticed Yama leaping in the air and raising his foot to deliver a kick, but the monk noticed a ruin behind her and made her realize if she dodges, he'll hit the ruin, and Robin won't be too happy about it.
"Burning Arrow" Sareena then leaps after him, delivering a flaming kick which connects to Yama's foot, and it made him scream in pain as he's sent flying and crashed against the ground with him rolling around and holding his foot.
"Wow, for a fat priest, you couldn't take the heat." Sareena mocks, crossed her arms. "Not to mention you brought this on yourself since you're smooth."
Yama then stands up, scowling at the monk who's able to take him down.
"How strong are you? And how long are you going to insist on protecting this withered good-for-nothing home city?" Yama questions, making Sareena glaring at him.
"Strong enough to kick your sorry fat ass. And for protecting the ruins? It's something I made a promise to a certain archeologist, since she had a thing for history, and it got me interested. So basically, indefinitely." Sareena told him. "But let me ask you, why must you disrespect what our ancestors that held so sacred?"
"The past has nothing to do with me." Yama remarked. "So, why should I care?"
"Hmph, no surprise that you don't understand. Only a moron would say such things." Sareena scoffs which made Yama mad.
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT SOMEONE SO POWERFUL!?" Yama yelled as he readied his fist. "Punch Mountain"
And with that, Yama swings his fist which made Sareena jumps in midair to dodge that punch.
'I've got to get that fatass away from the ruins before he destroys them!' Sareena mentally thought as she ran, causing Yama to pursue after her and destroying the ruins and a trees. She then remembered the time with Leon and Caius along with her friends fighting against the Garlean Empire years ago. 'Back then, I've had friends and lost them during the time at Altivalios. My goal of stopping the Garlean Empire with the resistance has been gone since they overrun us and made us scatter throughout the entire island. Having to lose everything while tried to get some help, I've come across a Shandorians, but they have a different goal in mind. But with the Straw Hats, meeting Leon and Caius again, and Ventus, I believe we can get to Altivalios and take down the Garlean Empire for good. Not only that, but I also get to be with them while traveling along, and it'll give me hope to get to Ishgard to help fight against them.'
While Sareena kept ruining, Yama kept destroying the ruins which causes the dust to appear. Yama revealed himself and kicked the rubble, causing Sareena to flinch and watching the rubble destroying the ruins. She knows that Robin isn't going to be happy when she sees it, causing her to scowl as she kept running without looking at the ruins. The sound of impact was heard from the entire Upper Yard, which Yama kept destroying the ruins and Sareena kept on ruining.
"How long do you plan on running?!" Yama shouts, but she can only respond in silent without looking at him.
She glances over her shoulder, seeing Yama still pursuing and destroying everything on sight without any regards or remorse whatsoever. Yama leaps out of the ruin, front flips and lands on the ground, then chasing after her. She felt very angry at him destroying the ruins, like she really wanted to beat him to a pulp and breaking every bone of his body. But she won't be the only one because Robin would join in whenever she's been informed about the ruins.
And now with them out of the ruins or what's left of it, and out of sight, both Sareena and Yama are now facing each other. Sareena now finally had enough of playing 'cat and mouse' since he's been destroying the ruins and disrespecting the history.
"I don't understand it. You finally decide to face me?" Yama asks in confusion.
"Yes, and I'm really pissed off." Sareena answered angrily. "It's too late for you to run away."
"Huh, too late?" Yama repeats as she readies her fighting stance.
"Even if you choose to show mercy, I'm still gonna kick your ass." Sareena told him.
"Oh, you won't show mercy, I see." Yama said, understands why she ran out of the ruins. "All because of these shabby old ruins you and your friend so adore. A pile of rubble that doesn't even belong to you."
"Damn straight! These ruins don't belong to anyone! And I'm sick and tired of 'cat and mouse' crap!" Sareena retorted, cracking her knuckles. "And I'm still in for a fight!"
"Well, not to worry. In just a few short moments, you won't have to run ever again!" Yama declared, readied his fighting stance. "Because unfortunately, you're going to be crushed to death underneath me! Rock Mountain"
And with that, Yama leaps in the air and doing front flips after the monk which she's ready to counter. However...
"Treinta Fleur"
The limbs were sprouting from the vines and grabbing hold of Yama which made Sareena surprised as she turns and saw Robin, who's very mad that the ruins were being destroyed by the hands of Yama.
"I can unleash all of my power on you in this place!" Robin shouts angrily as she uses her power to swing Yama. "All you do is charge around like a clumsy bull with no regard for the weight of the history that you've destroyed! Hang"
She then slams Yama right at the tree, but it made her grunt and it made her realize of how heavy he really is.
"This body is too heavy." Robin groans as Sareena charges after him since he's about to fall into the ground.
"Rising Crane" Sareena then leaps in air, sprints after him and knocking him down with a kick to the face as he crashed into the ground.
Yama groans as he sat up, looking at Robin and Sareena, who lands next to her.
"What are you doing here?! I thought you're with Leon!" Sareena said with a glare, looking at Yama.
"I couldn't sit here and wait; I told Leon to wait for me while I help you." Robin told her. "But from the looks of what I have witnessed, you already know how I'm feeling right now."
Sareena confirmed that Robin is very pissed off, but Yama doesn't seem to care about it as he then front flips after them and leaps in the air.
"I'll cut you to ribbons!" Yama yelled, pulling the sash with Axe Dials. "Axe Mountain"
But just as Yama was about to get the chance, Robin uses her Devil Fruit power to sprout her arm limbs, covering his eyes.
"My eyes! I can't see!" Yama shouts in confusion while Robin uses her power to face the Axe Dials in the opposite direction which happens to be his belly. After the limbs vanished, Yama looks down and it make him shout in shock. "What are you doing?! Why did you turn the Dials around backwards?! You're going to kill me!?"
"That's the idea, fatty!" Sareena retorted as she and Robin moved away, making Yama crashed against the tree and the Axe Dials activates, slashing right at his belly.
It causes him to cough blood out of his mouth and crashed against the ground. Robin then walks to him and grabs hold of his hair, using her Devil Fruit to sprout extra limbs to pull his head up and making him face her and the monk.
"What you have carelessly destroyed were priceless treasures, relics so rare it will be next to impossible to measure their actual worth." Robin told him with a glare. "It's true that history may repeat itself, but people can't go back in time. A stupid brute like you wouldn't understand that."
"I, uh, I...I understand...Please...Please, I'm sorry...Won't you forgive me?" Yama pleads weakly.
"That's out of the question." Robin and Sareena refused, making Yama even more angry as he stands up.
"Don't even think about it. Platinum Strike" Sareena then leaps in midair, delivering a three-punch combo right at Yama in the face and then swings a right hook to the jaw.
Robin joins then by using her Devil Fruit power, sprouting the arms to his fingers and them bends them the wrong way, breaking them.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! MY FINGERS! MY FINGERS!" Yama screamed in pain as she then crosses her arms.
"Cien Fleur: Delphinium" Robin then sprouts 100 arms from the ground leading to a cliff, pulling Yama down and dragging him away from them and into the cliff, causing him to fall with a scream. "I'm afraid it's far too late for that."
She then uses her Devil Fruit power, sprouting the arms to grab hold of his arms and legs, and grabs his neck into a chokehold, making it hard for him to breath while having him to fall close to the ground.
"Clutch" Then, the sound of breaking is heard along with a loud crash, leaving Yama defeated and unconscious.
"That was certainly unpleasant." Robin said with a glare as she and Sareena head to the ruins of Shandora to meet up with Leon.
After they made out of the jungle, Robin and Sareena were now at the ruins that's filled with clouds. Leon glances at them, approaching to the two.
"Take it that mountain walker is beaten?" Leon asks.
"Yeah, but I've got some help." Sareena nods, then turns to Robin. "She did most of the work by breaking his back."
Leon winces at that, had a feeling she's pissed after what Yama did to the ruins.
"In any case, did you find out about the ruins?" Robin asks, turning to the Gunbreaker.
"Well, we were at the right place and this is the center of Shandora, but it doesn't match up on the monument or this map." Leon explains. "As far as I know, it probably had something to do with the Knock-Up Stream."
"You might be right." Robin agrees, looking at the area and then the book. "It makes me wonder if the entire city was broken up, and it was thrusted into the sky."
"Well, only one way to find out." Sareena said as they went inside of the ruins, venture deep.
Robin then remembered her time back in Alabasta when she's being questioned about why she came by King Cobra. She doesn't know anymore, mostly because of her dream; a dream about the last Poneglyph and the world that's still carries the true history...the Real Poneglyph. Robin had been searching for it for the past 20 years, and it proves the point that she grew tired of searching. All she ever wanted is to learn a true history and to share it with the whole world.
As they continued to venture, they a saw a light that leads to the entrance. But once their out, they began to notice more ruins, venturing further and looking at the ruins. Then, they saw a Giant Jack that's connected to the Upper Yard, but they also noticed the carvings in the ruin as Robin take notes on her book. Then, they continued to venture while looking at the ruins that has long lost history. They decided to take a break, and Robin is going through the notes she wrote from her book, feeling something was of about the ruins.
'It's so strange. Could this really be the City of Gold? The size and this apographs are all completely different.' Robin mentally thought, closing the book and then she, Leon, and Sareena head to the main temple that will lead them to the entrance. 'And what's most unnatural of all, the only entrance is at the top.'
They then take the stairs, but stopped and leaving them shocked.
"Could it be..." Robin said, rushing up the stairs.
"Robin! Wait up!" Leon shouts, catching up.
"Hey! What could it be? Guys, wait!" Sareena said.
But once their inside of the main ruin, Robin starts digging the clouds with her knife while using her Devil Fruit to pulls the blocks of clouds out of the way, but Leon and Sareena help her by cutting it and tossing the cloud blocks away. Though, they're digging deeper and tossing a huge number of clouds. They panted, but made them notice that the cloud has gotten thin as she quickly cuts the hole and noticed the cloudy ground below.
"I think we can go below." Robin said as she cuts the cloud, letting it fall as she, Leon, and Sareena jumps down to the ground.
She uses her Devil Power to toss her bag and hat to her, then she, Leon, and Sareena looks around at the ruin which it made them notice how deeper the ruins are.
"It so vast...The ruins really do go much deeper." Robin muttered.
"No kidding, we thought something was off about this island. Not to mention all these ruins had island clouds for ground." Sareena stated with an agreement. "The ruins above us are nothing more than the upper parts of this city, eaten up by island clouds."
"Which means there's still more below us." Leon adds as they began to venture below of these ruins and looks at it with awe.
Robin and Leon were cutting those vines while venturing, but it made them widen their eyes in shock when they noticed a light. They then cut the vines and rushes to the light that will lead them to the entrance, but quickly stop themselves. They then gasp slightly, seeing the ruins that's known as Shandora, the City of Gold. Leon, Sareena, and Robin couldn't believe that they were the first to find the City of Gold, felt amazed.
"No way...It's incredible!" Sareena said.
"Yeah, the ancient city collapsed 800 years ago. That I can hardly believe it's been that long." Robin agrees. "It's still majestic and grand. We've actually found it. This really is the great Shandora, the City of Gold."
"Noland is telling the truth after all these centuries ago, and yet, he's been calling a liar to the end." Leon adds. "And it proves that he was right all along."
Robin and Sareena agreed with the Gunbreaker. They then head down the stairs while looking at the ruins of Shandora which it got them amazed that it's been around for 800 years ago. Robin then noticed something, continued to venture further when she noticed a Poneglyph, making them shocked.
'It can't be!' Robin mentally thought, then remembered back in Alabasta and of King Cobra mentioned of the lost history can actually be uncovered and the Poneglyphs are the key to unlock these records. And now, right in front of her, she was able to find the Poneglyph. "The ancient Poneglyph symbols...So, the Shandorians were familiar with them. but only the ones who made the Ponegylphs were able to read them."
"And what does it mean?" Sareena asks.
"It means we shall know the true meaning and utter it to no one." Robin clarifies, reading the Poneglyph. "It's our legacy to be the inheritors of history, with the sounding of the Grand Belfry."
"That's right, I remember Nolands old logbook mentioning a giant golden bell being here." Leon said. "But if that's true, where could it be?"
"Hmm...All we know is that all of the cities ancient writings were burned in the fire." Robin told him as she, Leon, and Sareena ventured further into the ruins. "The entire city, this place was eradicated."
Meanwhile back at the Upper Yard, Nami's team along with Conis are still trying to tend Usopp and Sanji's wounds, which made her worried and hoping they'll pull through since they've been through worse, but with Eneru's power, they were on worse for wear. Zoro kept getting himself lost and very annoyed that the South Bird tried to tell him that he's heading the wrong way. Luffy continued to venture inside of the snake's belly.
'A Poneglyph was carried into the city. There's no question about it, the city faced great hostility. Shandora, the mystical City of Gold fought and fell to protect that Poneglyph.' Robin mentally thought, but Leon and Sareena were agreeing while looking for the Grand Belfry. 'And that means, the Grand Belfry located at the center of the four altars. It could contain the text of the true history. It could be...the Real Poneglyph.'
That's it for the 43rd chapter.