章 16: Poneglyph
Michael had never contemplated so much gold in his two lives.
Every corner of these ruins gleamed with a golden light.
It was practically a city forged in gold.
Each building seemed to be constructed with the precious metal.
Although, of course, the structures were only coated with a layer of gold.
However, this already represented an astonishing amount of gold, considering that all the other golden decorations were authentic.
Without a doubt, it was the legendary golden city.
"Here you have it--"
After Michael's entrance into the cloud, two maids immediately followed him, and then Gan Fall caught up with them.
The former God contemplated with amazement the panorama before him: "Does... such a place exist among the clouds?"
No one had discovered it in four hundred years!
This, of course, was not surprising.
Michael was not surprised by this fact.
Four hundred years ago, after the island of Jaya was dragged into the sky by the powerful Current, it was pierced by the enormous vines and abandoned in the Sea of Clouds.
And the place where the vines passed coincided exactly with the remains of Shandora.
All the ruins were elevated, only to crash against the clouds and remain hidden.
This treasure had remained intact for four centuries.
Until Enel discovered this place, and then appropriated all the gold to build his ark.
"It's beautiful."
Rika contemplated the gold that surrounded everything, with perplexity on her face. Her eyes shone, reflecting the golden glow, but there was a hint of confusion in her gaze.
But that was all.
After all, how could one expect the people of the sky islands, practically isolated from the Blue Sea, to understand the true value of gold?
Michael toured the ruins with great interest, his steps echoing in the silence. His eyes scrutinized every detail, every crack, and every golden glint.
Then, his face darkened with disappointment.
The violent current that lifted the island into the sky four hundred years ago and the relentless erosion during the following centuries had left these ruins on the verge of total collapse, reducing the once majestic city to little more than scattered rubble.
The only relatively well-preserved vestiges were small-scale buildings with robust structures.
However, these buildings were basically just dwellings and lacked significant historical value.
What a shame.
Michael exhaled a sigh loaded with disillusionment, his shoulders sinking slightly.
But in reality, it wasn't a surprise.
In the manga, even Robin, with all her archaeological knowledge, came here and failed to discover anything transcendental.
Anyway, I've harvested as much gold as the size of a small village, he thought, trying to console himself.
As they walked, Gan Fall observed Michael wandering through the ruins, noticing how his expression oscillated between interest and disappointment.
His shrewd eyes followed every movement of the young god.
Suddenly, an intuition seized his heart, making his pulse quicken.
This God Michael must know the origin of these ruins, or the secret of the sacred land.
"Let's go."
Michael declared with a firm voice: "Let's go to another place."
"God, where do you wish to go?" asked Gan Fall with respect.
Although the being before him looked like a small child, he was aware of the unparalleled power he possessed.
If he offended him, even minimally, he feared that not only he, but the entire Sacred Land, could face a devastating end.
Gan Fall was not a flatterer by nature; on the contrary, his character was imbued with chivalry, kindness, but also with a dignified reserve.
However, in the face of this being's power, all these qualities seemed a mere joke.
"Up."
Michael pointed his finger towards the sky.
"Up?"
Gan Fall was surprised for a moment, his eyebrows arching: "Do you wish to go to my residence?"
The place where he lived was built on the clouds, floating high above.
"No, higher up," he replied.
Higher up?
What place could that be? Where?
But this was God's decision, and Gan Fall dared not object, swallowing his doubts.
Soon, the four of them took flight towards the sky.
Michael and the two maids beat their wings and rose, while Gan Fall followed them closely mounted on his faithful Pierre.
Ascending the enormous vine, after leaving behind several layers of clouds that stretched beneath them like a white sea, the four finally reached the top of the colossal plant.
Before them stretched an empty sky, with only a few scattered clouds floating lazily around, like islands in an infinite blue ocean.
What could be here?
Gan Fall didn't believe there was anything in this vast seemingly empty sky.
With doubt on his face, he directed his attention to Michael.
At that moment, God seemed to be listening to something imperceptible to others, his face showing intense concentration.
"I found it."
Michael suddenly smiled.
He immediately took the lead and flew towards a cloud in the sky not far away, his figure silhouetted against the infinite blue.
Naturally, the two maids followed him immediately, their wings beating in unison. Although Gan Fall didn't understand the reason, he quickly spurred Pierre and joined the chase.
Flying over the cloud, a bright golden light appeared in Michael's eyes, reflecting a glow that seemed to come from beyond the horizon.
With a slight beat of his wings, he flew like lightning, and the distance that wasn't so close instantly reduced to zero.
Michael reached the top of the cloud, his feet barely grazing the fluffy surface.
There he could clearly see the enormous golden bell emerging majestically from the clouds below.
"God, what is this?"
Anjie, who arrived alongside Michael, looked at the huge golden bell in shock.
How huge!
How beautiful.
It simply existed there in silence, but it seemed to be the very incarnation of beauty, its golden surface reflecting the sunlight in a thousand flashes.
"The Golden Bell of Shandora."
Michael walked slowly and reached the base of this enormous golden bell, his feet gently touching the cloudy surface.
In front of him was a huge gray stone embedded in the middle of everything, contrasting dramatically with the shimmering gold of the bell.
The stone was engraved with several incomprehensible characters.
Poneglyph.
"The bell of Shandora?"
Gan Fall, who had dismounted from his flying horse and landed on the clouds, was also surprised when he heard Michael's words.
He never thought something like this would exist in the sky of the Sacred Land!
"God, what is Shandora?"
Rika asked with eyes shining with curiosity.
"I don't know either."
Michael responded, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
"God, you don't know?"
Rika blinked in disbelief.
Michael didn't respond. Instead, he approached with slow and deliberate steps towards the rock, extending his hands to touch it.
The moment his fingers touched the cold and rough surface, he could hear a subtle sound emerging from the stone.
It was like a constant whisper, declaring the presence of a great power hidden in its letters.
Michael's ability to hear this, similar to that of Gol D. Roger, was known as The Voice of All Things.
The corner of his mouth curved slightly in an enigmatic smile.
The promised golden bell.
Well, let me hear you now.
With an agile movement, his small body jumped, rising towards the base of the bell.
His hands, tiny compared to the enormous structure, clung to the golden edge with strength.
In front of the majestic golden bell, Michael's body seemed as insignificant as that of an ant.
But this "ant" effortlessly lifted the enormous golden bell.
Boom!
With a precise movement, Michael made the bell's hammer strike against its golden body.
A loud and melodious sound instantly resonated, filling the air with its vibration.
Dooooonng!
The sound waves expanded through the empty sky, creating an echo that seemed to reach the confines of the sky.
"What a beautiful sound...."
Rika murmured stunned, her eyes closed as she let herself be enveloped by the melody.
Just by hearing that voice, she felt as if her heart had been calmed, an indescribable peace invading her being.
"Really not bad."
Michael nodded slightly with an expression of satisfaction crossing his face.
From now on it belongs to me, he thought with determination.
Suddenly, as if responding to his thought, the bell stopped ringing, plunging the place into silence.
Zap!
A golden thunder condensed in the clouds, briefly illuminating the sky with its glow.
"God!"
After the sound of the bell, Enel appeared out of nowhere in front of Michael and bowed respectfully.
"Angel Island has basically calmed down, and that guy is in charge of finalizing the operation."
At this, Gan Fall was bewildered, his eyes wide open.
Indeed, it was the invader brought by God!
But... what was wrong with this boy?
How had he suddenly appeared here?
"Then return."
Michael nodded slightly with his impassive face.
The two most valuable places in Upper Yard had been visited.
The tour had ended.
"Yes."
They began to return by the same path they had come.
It's just that when descending the enormous vine...
Boom!
Boom!
A gigantic creature screamed and climbed the vines, its sinuous body moving with surprising agility.
Seeing this, Gan Fall immediately exclaimed: "Master of the Sky!"
"Hmm?"
Michael arched his eyebrows, his interest clearly awakened.
It was a blue boa constrictor, its skin shining with a cerulean hue under the sunlight.
The length of its body far exceeded the scale of 100 meters, extending like a living blue ribbon through the clouds and the vine.
________
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